1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for mapping a translation type in a No. 7 gateway signaling network, and in particular, to a method for mapping a translation type in a No. 7 gateway signaling network, which can perform a mapping function for different translation types.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, an intelligent network service stores service information regarding subscribers in a central mass data base and searches the data base when service is requested by the subscriber. Thus, various services for the subscriber can be provided based on the information stored in the data base. The intelligent network service typically includes free phone service through which a call terminating side bears telephone charges, as opposed to the call originating side. A credit call service is also provided, through which the telephone charges are paid with a credit card, and a virtual private network service is provided, through which each telecommunication terminal is defined as a service group, so as to provide such a communication service similar to using a private dedicated network.
To promote the service through the data base and protect the service from any signaling network fault, the signaling network is designed and managed to be double-structured. That is, it has another data base to store the same contents therein as in the main data base. As a result, if a fault is generated by the main data base, another data base operates manually.
The No. 7 gateway signaling network provides a certain service referred to as a global title translation service, wherein two data bases providing a single service are grouped into one. The thusly grouped databases have a single representative service number, and if a service request is made by a customer, the service request is connected to only one of the two data bases. This is possible since the connected data base is available based on the signaling network condition.
The representative service number for uniquely classifying the respective services is needed to provide the global title translation service. Global title translation is a procedure of determining a destination signaling point based on information in the signaling message. The translation type is a kind of code identifying information relating to the global title translation, i.e., a storage type of the global title in a signal message, a method for interpreting the global title, a number system of the global title, a method for translating the global title, etc.
The above mentioned translation type is a code in a range of 0 to 255. Each network provider can assign the translation type according to each service and determine the method for assigning the translation type as well. Thus, the respective network providers have each developed individual methods for providing services and individual methods of assigning the translation types, depending on the services.
However, to be interworked, network providers using different networks from each other must use the same translation type with respect to a service. For example, the same translation type must be used by all of the network providers in order to provide a signaling connection control part (SCCP) service with the global title translation. If the network providers employ different translation types, a novel translation type for the interworking service should be made. Then, the existing translation type and the additional translation type for the interworking service would have to be simultaneously managed. Otherwise, one of the network providers necessarily changes the existing signaling network to modify local translation type into the translation type used by other (non-local) network providers.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.